What are the Symptoms of Breast Cancer?

Knowing the answer to, “What are the Symptoms of Breast Cancer?” could save your life. If the symptoms of breast cancer are discovered early, you have a much better chance for a cure.

However, in the very early stages, the symptoms of breast cancer are not always noticeable. That’s why it’s important for women to learn the natural ways to prevent breast cancer as soon as possible – especially since the U.S. has the highest rate of breast cancer in the world.

And women in western cultures get breast cancer more than any other type of cancer, except for skin cancer. Plus, among cancer deaths for American women, breast cancer deaths are second only to lung cancer.

The 6 Main Symptoms of Breast Cancer

Since breast tissue is similar in men and women, men get breast cancer too. Although symptoms of breast cancer occur 100 times more often in women than in men, men who get breast cancer die from the disease at the same statistical survival rates as women.

The first and most common of the symptoms of breast cancer is:

1. A lump or thickening in the breast. Lymph node lumps can also be found in the armpits. In over 80% of breast cancer cases the woman discovers the lump at home. Breast lumps are often painless and most of the time they are not cancerous. But any lump that can be felt, no matter how small or insignificant, should be checked out.

Other symptoms of breast cancer include:

2. Fluid coming from the nipple. This spontaneous discharge is often associated with a breast lump and can be clear, yellowish to green, bloody or pus-like.

3. Changes in breast size or contours. There could be redness, dimpling, puckering or pitting that looks like an orange skin or a change in the feel of the breast or nipple.

But breast cancer isn’t the only thing that causes breasts to change in size or feel different. Changes occur naturally during pregnancy and around menstruation. Other non-cancerous symptoms can occur from injury, infection, cysts, fibroadenomas and fibrocystic changes.

As far as risk factors are concerned, most women who have one or more breast cancer risk factor never develop the disease.

So, now that you have the answer to “What are the symptoms of breast cancer?” it’s time to start taking the 8 steps to prevent breast cancer before any of the symptoms of breast cancer show up.

Moss Greene has been studying the common sense principles of health and nutrition since 1979. She began writing professionally in 2002 as the Nutrition Editor for BellaOnline, the 2nd largest women's website on the internet and in the world. You can follow Moss on Google +.